The Ashgrove has now gone into a second edition
‘The Ashgrove is a powerful and moving account of war’
Somerset Life Magazine
‘Costeloe’s…… depiction of women's heroic roles during the war is fascinating, and the combat scenes are well-written. This exceptional novel is highly recommended as enjoyable for readers of a variety of tastes and interests.’
Nanette Donohue – Historical Novel Society
‘from the first chapter I found it hard to put down.’
The Wells Journal
‘…a cracking good story.’
Colonel John Hughes-Wilson – Co-author of Blindfold and Alone
‘A powerful new book….representing a “gross injustice” to the memory of the brave soldiers who fought in World War One.’
Bridgwater Mercury
THE ASHGROVE
Diney Costeloe, Castlehaven Books, 2004, �8.95, pb, 410pp, 0954038312
When newspaper reporter Rachel Elliott is sent on assignment to cover a seemingly uneventful town council meeting in the sleepy English village of Charlton Ambrose, she doesn't expect much more than the usual routine. However, she discovers a promising human-interest story: a grove of nine ash trees planted as a memorial by the families of World War I casualties. The names behind eight of the trees are known, but one was planted for an unidentified soldier.
As Rachel investigates the stories behind the Ashgrove, she finds that she is personally linked to the memorial through her great-grandmother, a servant turned wartime nurse named Molly Day. The narrative shifts between Rachel's present-day experiences in Charlton Ambrose, where she works to save the Ashgrove from development, and the story of Molly Day. As Rachel reads her great-grandmother's diaries and letters, she discovers the truth about her ancestry and the ninth tree in the Ashgrove.
Costeloe is an experienced author who has published several novels in her native England, and her experience shows through this highly polished, engaging, and well-researched novel. Though the point-of-view shifts frequently, the shifts are handled in a sophisticated manner and are not at all jarring or extraneous. Costeloe covers a difficult and painful subject--the plight of deserters during World War I--with care and sensitivity. Her depiction of women's heroic roles during the war is fascinating, and the combat scenes are well-written. This exceptional novel is highly recommended as enjoyable for readers of a variety of tastes and interests.
Nanette Donohue Historical Novel Society
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